Window sill and ledge structure



Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined window sill and window ledge structure and more particularly to a hollow, sheet metal structure having a drain through tube therein.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a prefabricated window sill and ledge structure of sheet metal which can be placed in a window opening in a building wall and secured in place in a minimum amount of time and with a minimum amount of manual effort, which includes a drain trough disposed at the inner side of an associated window and a drain tube leading from this trough through the structure to the outside of the wall at the bottom of the window ledge portion of the structure, which structure can be easily filled with heat insulating material to retard transfer of heat through the structure and freezing of moisture in the drain through tube, and which is strong and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and easy to install.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a window sill and ledge structure illustrative of the invention, the associated window and portions of the associated wall being shown in horizontal cross section;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the window sill and ledge structure;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the window sill and ledge structure on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the window sill and ledge structure at an intermediate stage of manufacture.

With continued reference to the drawing the building wall illustrated is provided with a window opening framed around by a bottom plate [0, a top plate or lintle, not illustrated, and stiles or studs II and I2 extending between the plate and the lintle at respectively opposite sides of the window opening. The outside of the building wall around the window opening is covered by sheathing or storm siding I3 which in turn may be covered by clapboards, shingles or other material, as indicated at HI.

After the wall framing is completed and covered, as indicated above a combined window sill and ledge structure, as generally indicated at I5, is installed in each window opening on the top surface of the plate I0.

In conventional building practice it is necessary to first install a wood or stone window ledge and to then fit and install a wooden window sill on the top of this ledge. This requires a large amount of time and also a large amount of highly skilled labor as these pieces must be accurately shaped and fitted. The combined sill and ledge structure I5 is prefabricated and can be installed by an ordinary skilled worker in a few minutes compared with the several hours normally required by a highly skilled workman to install the conventional ledge and sill structure.

The structure I5 is of elongated, rectangular shape in plan and includes a flat, horizontal top wall [6 provided along its midwidth location with a longitudinal extending narrow depression I! and this wall it constitutes the top wall of the sill portion of the structure. Two flanges or walls I1 and I8 extend perpendicularly in the same direction from the top wall I6 one along each longitudinal edge of the latter and constitute respectively the front and rear walls of the sill portion of the structure and an outwardly declining top wall l9 extends from the lower edge of the front wall I I. The declining top wall l9 constitutes the top wall of the window ledge portion of the structure. A wall 20 depends from the free edge of the wall I9; This wall 20 constitutes the front wall of the ledge portion of the structure. A bottom wall 2| extends rearwardly from the lower edge of the ledge front wall 20 and is disposed substantially parallel to the sill top wall It. The bottom wall 2| terminates short of the plane of the rear wall N3 of the sill portion. A narrow wall 22 extends outwardly from the edge of the rear wall IB toward the front wall I? and constitutes the bottom wall of the sill portion of the structure.

This wall 22 terminates forwardly substantially at the plane which is perpendicular to the top wall It and touches the rear edge of the bottom' wall 2I. The space between the rear edge of the bottom wall 2! and the front edge ofthe bottom wall 22 of the sill portion of the structure is left open for a purpose which will presently appear.

End walls 23 and 24 are provided as extensions at the ends of the bottom wall 2| and are bent up at right angles to the bottom wall 2| and welded along their edges to the walls 20, I9, [1, I6, I8, and 22 to constitute the structure l5 a hollow, box-like device.

Obviously, the end walls 23 and 24 may be provided as separate pieces if desired, and welded or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom wall 2! as well as to the walls 29, l9, l1, l6, l8 and 22. The structure is preferably formed of a corrosion resisting sheet material, such as sheet aluminum.

Each end wall is provided with apertures 26 through which nails or screws, as indicated at 21 may be passed and driven into the side studs or stiles l I and i2 to firmly secure the structure in the window opening.

Obviously, the structures may be prefabricated in different lengths and sizes for different window openings.

A drain through tube 28 is connected at one end to the under surface of the sill top wall 16 substantially at the midlength location of the elongated depression or groove H and an aperture 29 in the bottom of the groove connects the groove with the interior of the tube. This tube extends through the structure and through an opening in the bottom wall 2i near the front wall 2!! of the ledge portion and has intermediate its length a trap 30 of U-shaped formation so that air will not blow through the tube.

After the structure l has properly been installed in the window opening, a metal window frame 3i may be installed in the window opening with its bottom rail 32 supported on the sill top wall [6 between the depression I l and the sill front wall I? by a pad or cushion 33 of resilient material, such as synthetic rubber or a cork composition. A sash, generally indicated at 34, is mounted in the frame 3] in a manner well known to the art.

After the window has been installed the interior of the structure i5 is filled with insulating material 35, such as fiber glass or other fibrous heat insulating material and the opening between the walls 2| and 22 is then covered by the lath board 36 and the plaster 31. The opening between the walls 2| and 22 permits access to the interior of the structure so that the nails or screws 21 can be set while the structure is being installed in the window opening.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the

scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A prefabricated window sill and ledge structure comprising a hollow thin walled bod of elongated rectangular shape in plan and having a flat wall constituting the top wall of the sill portion thereof, said top wall being provided with a longitudinally extending narrow depression, a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel walls extending in the same direction one from each longitudinal edge of said flat wall and constituting the front and rear walls of said sill portion, a wall declining from the edge of said front wall remote from said top wall in a direction away from said top wall and constituting the top wall of the ledge portion of said structure, a wall extending from the edge of the ledge top wall remote from said front wall to the side of said ledge top wall remote from said sill top wall and constituting the front wall of the ledge portion of said strucimre, a flat wall extending from the edge of the ledge front wallremote from said ledge top wall toward the sill rear wall and substantially parallel to said sill top wall constituting the bottom wall of said structure, the space between said sill rear wall and the adjacent edge of said bottom wall being open, an end wall closing each end of said structure, and a drain through tube extending from the bottom of said depression through said sill top wall and through said bottom wall near said ledge front wall.

2. A prefabricated window sill and ledge structure comprising a hollow thin walled body of elongated rectangular shape in plan and having a flat wall constituting the top wall of the sill portion thereof, said top wall being provided with a longitudinally extending narrow depression, a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel walls extending in the same direction one from each longitudinal edge of said flat wall and constituting the front and rear walls of said sill portion, a wall declining from the edge of said frontwall remote from said top wall in a direction away from said top wall and constituting the top wall of the ledge portion of said structure, a wall extending from the edge of the ledge top wall remote from said front wall to the side of said ledge topwall remote from said sill top wall and constituting the front wall of the ledge portion of said structure, a flat wall extending from the edge of the ledge front wall remote from said ledge top wall toward the. sill rear wall and substantially parallel to said sill top wall constituting the bottom wall of said structure, the space between said sill rear wall and the adjacent edge of said bottom wall being open, an end wall closing each end of said structure, and a drain through tube extending from the bottom of said depression through said sill top wall and through said bottom wall near said ledge front wall, and a body of heat insulating material filling the interior of said hollow thin walled body.

WILLIAM C. FOUTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,722,172 Benson July 23, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 492 Great Britain Jan. 8, 1903 505,992 Great Britain May 19, 1939 

